Machine for operating upon shoe soles



- 1,639,720 1927' M. F. BROGAN MACHINE FOR OPERATING UFO N, SHOE SOLES Filed Nov. 4. 1920 Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

MICHAEL F. BROGAN, or LAWRENCE, lvmssacnusnrrs, nssrenon r nnrrnn snon MACHINERY conronnrron, or rrrrnnsomnnwannsnr, a conronarron or NE JERSEY.

MACHINE Ion OPERATING pron 'srron soLnsf Application filed November 4, 1920. Serial No. 421,750. 1 i

This invention relates to machines for operating upon soles and more particularly to a machine for moulding or breaking down the margins of soles for turn shoes. The

5 method of shoemaking herein disclosed has been described and claimed in my divisional application Serial No. 669,427, filed October 18, 1923, and is therefore not claimed here.

l-leretofore it has been the practice to mould or break down the margins of turn soles, for the purpose of facilitating the last ing and upper-sewing operations, before the soles have been secured to the lasts, by means of a machine which feeds the margin of the sole progressivelypast the moulding tools such, for example, as the moulding machine disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,110,637, granted September 15, 1914, on application of William C. Meyer. After being moulded the soles are usually stacked vone on top of another and it has been found that owing to the necessary delay before the assembling operation is performed the moulded margins of the soles have a tendency to return to their normal flat condition. Should this flattening of the margin occur there is interference withthe action of the needle during the upper sewing operation resulting in a crippled shoe.

An object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and reliable machine for moulding the margins of turn soles in such manner, and in such sequence in the series of shoemaking operations. as will preserve the marginal break until after the upper sewing operation. has been performed.

With this object in view the present in vention. in one important aspect, provides a tool for engaging the flesh side of a sole while on the last, so shaped as to mould or break down the marginal or feather portion of the sole. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the tool is arranged to vibrate vertically and, in one-form, is adapted to engage the sole margin throughout a comparatively small portion only. of its length at one time as the last having the sole secured thereto is pressed upwardly by the operator against the lower or acting portion of the tool. This form of tool, which is particularly well adapted for use alon the sides of the sole, thus operates to break down the marginof the sole, progressively, the sole being drawn across the tool by the operator. In order to facilitate the manipulation of the solo by the operator this tool is preferably provided with a pair of oppositely disposed moulding faces, said faces being directed outwardly toward the sides of the machine and thus adapted to engage the marginat each'edge of the sole in turn by merely shifting the solelaterally across the tool. An abutment, in the nature of a sole support, is provided at either side of the tool to assist the operator in holding the sole in position for the proper operation of the tool thereon and to enable it to be supported to receive the blows of the tool.

" A further feature'of the invention contemplates the provision of a tool shaped for nioulding at one operation the entire mar-.

ginal portion of the sole about the tip of the toe. The provision of this tool avoids the necessity of turning the sole at the toe, speedsup the operation and provides for more accurate toe moulding. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the toe mouldingtool isvibratory and conveniently a single vibratory tool-carrier is employed upon whichtwo moulding tools having the different characteristics described are mounted. v

The invention further consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, the advantages of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The various features of'the invention will be readily understood from a description of the preferred embodiment thereof illurtrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the invention has been shown for purposes of description as applied to a nurling machine of the type disclosed. in Letters Patent of the United States No. 768,560, granted August 23, 1904, upon an application of Louis A. Casgrain.

, In the drawings, Figural is a view'partially in sideeleva tion and partially in section, of the upper portion of amachine of the type above specified, showing the application of the present invention thereto; Fig. 2 is a view, front elevation and on an enlarged scale, of the" operating instrumentalities of the machine, showing a last having a turn sole secured thereto in position to be operated upon; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the moulding tool operatmg upon the toe of the sol J;- ai'nfl .i i-g. 41 is trolling its rotation.

a detail plan view of the work support or guide. v

I In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the frame ofthe machine, the face plate 12, the tool-carrier 14, and the rotary hammer 16, mounted on the driving shaft 18' fori'inparting a rapid succession of percussive blows to the tool carrier, all may be, and preferably are, of

the same des'ignqas like parts in the patent to Casgrain hereinbefore referred to. The driving shaft 18 is provided with the usual fast and loose pulleys, (not shown) for con- In accordancev with the present invention, the work is to be manually supported and fed as" it is pre-' sented to the operatinginstrumentalit'ies of the machine, and consequently the present machine is not provided with a work-table or with a work-feeding device as in the machine of said patent to Casgrain.

The moulding tool which operates upon the opposite lateral edge portions of the sole is indicated at 24, in Figs. 1 and-2. The moulding tool 24 comprises a rectangular block which is rigidly secured to the tool carrier 14 to vibrate rapidly therewith as the latter is acted upon by the rotary hammer 16. To this enda hole 26 (Fig. 1') is bored transversely through the moulding tool 24 to-receive a cylindricalstud 28. con veniently formed by machining a tool-sustaining projection with which the tool-car rier 14 of said nurling machine is provided. The tool 24 is located, with itslengthvertically disposed, by means of a shoulder 30 (Fig. 1) which is formed onthe tool-carrier to engage the upper end of the tool. The tool 24 is rigidly secured to'the toolcarrier by means of a binding screw 32 that is threaded into' an axial recess in the stud 28, the head of the screw 32 hearing against a washer 34 which, in turn, bears against the front face of the tool. The moulding of the lateral margins -of the sole is performed by one or more moulding faces at the lower end of the moulding tool 24, such as are indicated at 38 and in Fig. 2. These moulding faces are so proportioned as to engage the margin of the sole throughout only a comparatively small portion of its length at one time and are shaped to impart the desired amount of transverse curvature thereto. Inoperation the sole is slowly drawn across the moulding face of the rapidly vibrating moulding" tool 24, the operator preferably first presenting to said face the rearmost-point in that portion of the lateral margin which is tobe moulded and then slowly drawing the last forwardly to progressively mould the sole margin until the tool reaches a point near the toe of the sole. The breaking down may be aidedby rubbing the sole back and forth under the tool.

To avoid the necessity of turning the last end for end, after one lateral edge of the sole has been moulded, in order to bring the opposite lateral edge'ther'eof into the field of operation of the moulding tool, it is pre ferred to provide a pair of oppositely disposed moulding faces upon the tool 24. To this end the moulding face 38 is formed at the left side of the moulding tool and arranged to operate upon the margin ofthe sole atone side and a similar mould'ng face 40-is formed at the right side of the mould; in'g tool and arranged to operate upon the margin of the sole at the other side. VVith thisv construction after one lateral edge of the sole has been operated upon by one of the moulding faces the-operator may readily present the opposite lateral edge of the sole to the other moulding face by merely shifting the sole laterally beneath the tool. Thus the operator is relieved of the extra labor involved in theturning of the last, and considerable time is saved at each sole moulding operation.

-. -To.ass1 st in locating t'he sole relatively to the moulding tool 24, and to maintain the sole in position to receive the blows delivered by the moulding tool and at the proper transverse angle for the most advantageous operationthereof, an abutment is provided against which the upper or exposed face of the sole may be pressed.- The abutment, or sole support, herein also termed a work guide, is carried. at the lower end of a-v ertical post 44. which is received in a socket 'formedin abloclr 4 6, the lattercorrespondingto a similar block in the machine of the patent to Casgrain hereinbeiorereferred to. The post 44 is rigidly but ad justably secured in, the socket of the block 46 by means ofasuitable clamping screw 47, this con struction permitting such vertical adjust- .ment of thesupport relatively to the. mould,-

ing tool 24 as may be required in order to secure the best results from the action of said tool. As best shown in Fig. 4, the sole which project horizontally on opposite sides of, the moulding tool 24. The arms 42 are adapted; by engagement withthe upper face of the sole as the latter is pressed upwardly against said arms by the operative during the mouldingoperation, to locate the sole vertically and position it at the proper transverse angle forthe moulding operation.

The arms 42 are curved longitudinally, shown n Fig. 1, to permlt them to engage the face ofthe sole margin at the shank of a sole, if it is desired to mould said portion of the margin. 1 The lowerface of each arm .42is disposed transversely at a slight angle to the horizontal toposition the sole transsince ithas lfwjenifound thatthe margin may ,versely atthe-angle illustrated in Fig. 2,

be more readily moulded into the required tranverse curvature when the sole is thus supported. The width of each arm 421s such as to provide a firm support for enabling the operative to hold the sole at the proper height and angle to receive the blows delivered by the tool. To reduce friction between the arms 42 and the sole as the latter is drawn across said arms, and also to avoid the closing of the channel in the sole by the arms, the lower face of each arm is'cut away, as indicated at 48' in Fig. 2, so that it will engage the sole upon opposite sides of the channel but will not rub against the channel. flap. 7

It is difficult, especially when operating upon soles having pointed tees, for the operative to swing the last to effect the moulding of the margin at the tip of the toe without injuring the sole. In accordance with the contemplated use of the machine herein shown, conveniently before or after the op posite marginal portions of the sole have been moulded by drawirw said portions successively across the moulding faces on the tool 24, the marginal portion about the tip of the toe is presented to a second moulding tool 50 which is secured to the upper portion of the moulding tool 2% and vibrates with the latter. The tool 50 is of substantial V-shape as shown in Fig. 3, to conform'to the shape of the toe, and is provided with a cylindrical projection 52 which is received in a hole bored transversely through the upper portion of the tool 24, and securely fastened. therein by means of a suitable binding stud 54 (Figs. land 2). The forks fori'ning the sides ofthe tool 50 project forwardly from the tool 2-1- in a substantially horizontal plane, and the lower or acting side iscurved transversely to form a continuous concave mouldingv face similar to the faces 88 and 40 of the tool 24:. The particular cross-sections of the lower or acting faces of both of the moulding tools will vary since the toolsare shaped to conform to the requirements of the manufacturer.

Before or after both lateral edges of the sole have been operated upon by the moulding tool 24:, the toe of the sole is presented to the rapidly vibrating toe moulding tool 50, the operator pressing upwardly on the last to hold the sole against the under mould ing face of the tool, and is held in contact therewith until the projecting margin about the tip of the tee is moulded or broken down over the edge ofthe last to therequired extent. It will be observed that the mouldin tool 50 is located in front of and above the plane of the abutment 42 to avoid possibility of interference by the latter with the moulding operation at the toe.

When, in accordance with the usual custom, the margin of aturn sole is moulded before'the sole is secured to. thelast, there sewing operation.

is necessarily considerable delay and additional handling of the sole before theupper Largely on account of this delay and partly on account of the way in which the soles are handled after being moulded and before being secured to the last in the assembling operation, there is a marked tendency for the moulded margin to return to its normal flat condition, as hereinbefore set forth. If, however, the sole is secured to the last before its margin is moulded, no such tendency is present since the upper may be immediately assembled on the last with the sole and lasted, making the shoe at once ready for the performance of the upper sewing operation.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the moulding of themargin of a turn sole after the sole has been secured to the last is accomplished rapidly and effectively by means of the above described machine. I i

In turn shoemalring the first last is reduced in size so that its bottom edge is opposite the shoulder on the flesh side of the sole which forms the striking shoulder for the needle. Thus the last edge is properly located to act as the anvil about which the angle of the break shouldbe made in the margin moulding operation. As a result, the moulded iargin always is correctly located or, vice versa, the last always is correctly positioned relatively to the sole. The immediate lasting of the upper preserves the mould in the margin which is made by the machine thereby insuring a properly shaped shoe and a well formed upper.

ll hile it is preferred to employ the spe- (:iiic construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, it will be understood that this construction. and arrangement is not essential except so far as specified in the claims and may be changed or modified without departing from the spirit and. true scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is z 1. A machine for operating upon channeled soles having, in combination. a mould ing tool for engaging the face of a sole adj acent its margin, and means for rapidly vibrating said tool in a direction generally perpendicular to the planeof the sole, the tool being shaped to bend out of the path of a sewing needle passing through the channel the marginal portion of the sole as the latter is presented to the tool.

2. A machine for operating having, in combination, a tool holder, a tool mounted on said holder and shaped for breaking down the marginal portions of a sole, and means for imparting to the holder a succession of rapid blows in a direction gen erally perpendicular to the plane of the sole.

3. A machine for moulding themargin of a turn sole after assembly of the-sole on a ill) upon soles last having, in combination, a tool shaped to break down the margin of the sole over the edge of the last, and means for imparting to said tool rapidly repeated operative movements in a direction heightwise of the last.

4. A machine for moulding the margin of a turn sole after assembly of the sole on a last having, in combination, a movable tool support, a tool carried by the support shaped to break down the margin of the sole over the edge of the last, and means acting on said support to impart to said tool rapidly repeated operative movements in a direction. heightwise of the last.

5. A machine for moulding the margin of a turn sole over the edge of a last after assembly of the sole on the last having, in combination, a tool having an acting portion shaped to fit the desired angle of a properly broken down margin, means for im arting to the tool rapid percussional 1mpultes, and means for supporting the sole to receive the blows delivered by said tool.

6. A machine for moulding the margin of a turn sole after assembly of the sole on a last having in combination, a tool havingan acting face for engaging the feather of the sole Where it projects beyond the last and bending said feather Over the edge of the last, means to impart rapid vibration to said tool, and a member beside the tool against which the face of the sole may be pressed by the operative.

7. A machine for operating upon soles having, in combination, a tool for engaging the marginal portion of a sole throughout a small portion only of its length at one time and shaped to break down the marginal portion of the sole. and means for rapidly vibrating the tool in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the sole to cause it to break down the marginal portion of the sole in progressive stages as said portion is brought Within the field of operation of the tool.

8-. Amachinc for operating upon soles having, in combination, a tool provided with oppositely disposed faces severally shaped to mould respectively the opposite marginal portions of a sole as they are separately presented to said faces, and means to impart rapid vibrations to said tool in a direction generally perpendicular to the sole.

9. A machine for operating upon soles having, in combination, a tool having a moulding face adapted to engage a portion of the face of a sole adjacent its lateral margin, a second tool having a moulding face shaped to conform to the angle of the too for engaging the marginal portion of the sole about the tip of the toe, and means for actuating said tools to mould said portions of the sole as they are eparately presented to the 000151 esa-nee 10. A machine for operating upon soles having, in combination, atool carrier, a tool mounted on said carrier and adapted to en gage the face of a sole adjacent its lateral edges, a second tool mounted on said carrier for engaging the marginal portion of the sole adjacent the tip ofthe toe, and means for rapidly vibrating said tool carrier to cause said tools to-mould the margin of the sole as it is separately presented thereto.

11. A machine for operating upon turn soles having, in combination, a device provided with a moulding face for engaging the lateral margin of a sole throughout a comparatively small portion of its length at onetime, and a second moulding face for engaging the margin of the sole simultaneously at the tip of the toe and at opposite sides of the sole adjacent said tip, and means for rapidly vibrating said device to cause it to progressively mould the lateral. margin of the sole as said margin is drawn across the first moulding face, and to mould the entire sole margin about the tip of the toe as said toe portion is presented to the second moulding face.

12. A machine for moulding the margins of soles having, in combination, a tool for simultaneously moulding the entire toe portion of the margin at the tip of the toe and at opposite sides of the sole adjacent said tip, and means to impart rapid vibrations to said tool.

13. A machine for moulding the margin of a turn sole after assembly of the sole on a last having, in combination, a moulding tool of substantial V-shape having an acting portion shaped to break down the margin projecting about the toe of the last, and means for causing said tool to perform its moulding operation.

14. A machine for moulding the margins of soles having, in combination, a vibratory moulding tool shaped to break down the sole margin over the edge of a last, a Work guide for locating the sole relatively to said tool for the margin moulding operation, and means for rapidly vibrating the tool to break down said margin.

15. A machine for moulding the margins of soles having, in combination, a vibratory moulding tool, a Work guide for engaging the face of the sole and positioning it at an angle with relation to the line of vibration of said tool, and means for actuating said tool to cause it to perform its moulding operation. i

16. A machine for mould-ing the margins of soles having, in combination, a moulding tool having oppositely disposed faces for engaging the opposite lateral margins of a sole as said portions are separately presented thereto,- a Work; guide adjacent each said faces for locating tha work. relatively new to for the margin moulding operation, and means for actuating said tool to mould the margin of the sole.

17. A machine for moulding the margins of channeled soles having, in combination, a moulding tool, a worr guide for positioning the sole relatively to the moulding tool for the margin moulding operation and adapted to engage the face of the sole on opposite sides of the channel, said guide being recessed to prevent engagement With the free edge of the channel flap, and means for actuating the tool to cause it to perform its moulding operation.

18. A machinefor operating upon turn soles previously secured to the last having, in combination, a tool provided with oppositely disposed faces for moulding the lateral margins of the sole projecting at opposite sides of the last as said margins are separately presented to said faces, a work guide for positioning the sole relatively to said tool comprising a member forked to straddle said tool and adapted to be engaged by the face of the sole as said margins are presented to one or the other faces of said tool, and means for actuating said tool to cause it to perform its mouloing operation.

19. A machine for operating upon turn soles previously secured to the last having, in combination, a vibratory device provided With a moulding face at its lower end for progressively moulding the lateral margin of the sole projecting at the side of the last as said margin is drawn across said moulding face, a Work guide adjacent said face to position the margin thereof with respect to said moulding face, a second moulding face on said device above said Work guide adapted to simultaneously engage the margin of the sole at the tip of the toe and at opposite sides of the sole adjacent said tip, and means for actuating said device to cause it to per form its moulding operations on said sole margin.

MICHAEL F. BROGAN. 

